The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-06
NEW TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION.
What Is Thought of the Pcnnsylvania's
Action as to Through Tickets.
Belief that the Great Corporation Has Bit off
More than It Can Chew-Railway and
River Men Before the Interstate Board.

the Eastern Traffic Association in turning to
the WALL tickets of roads west OF st Louis and
Chicago, the Republican this morning says: 'It
Is not at all likely that corporations strong as
The Missouri Pacific, the Rock Island, and the
Chicago & Alton will submit to the trunk-line
aictation especially while it proposes to dictate
their entire through west-bound passenger traf
Rc; besides, under any circumstances, the turn
Ing of the tickets of any road to the wall is
FERROUS undertaking, and whom it comes to boy
sotting twentynine roads by denying them
ticket representation on connecting lines, the
matter assumes gigantic proportions. 1t was
intimated last night that the boycotted roads
will not, under any circumstances, he driven
into the trunk lines way Of thinking, or that
they will not agree to quit paying commissions.
and that they will call upon the Interstate-com-
MERGE Commissioners to force the lines East to
give them such facilities the law guarantees
to them. The clause of the interstate law
under which complaint will be fled reads as fol-
lows:
Every common carrier subject to the pro-
visions of this act shall, according to their
respective powers, afford all reasonable. proper
and equal facilities for the interchange of traffic
between their respective lines. and for the re-
eeiving, forwarding and delivering of passengers
and property to and from their several lines and
those connecting Herewith, and shall not dis
eliminate in their rates and charges between
ouch connecting lines"
PITTsBURG. April 5.-Chief Assistant General
Passenger Agent F. Van Dusen, Of the Pennsyl-
vania Company. stated to-day that the impress
sion that the Eastern Traffic Association had
boycotted twentynin Western railroads
erroneous. "Such talk" said he, sis nonsense.
M IT. ~ A.. L. -
being sold are simply waiting for the advice Of
their counsel Our company has already the
consent to sell through tickets over a large num-
Der of connecting roads. In instances where
the sale of through tickets has been withdrawn
it is merely temporary. The tickets will be
instated as soon as legal advice is given to have
us act as agents of each of the different roads.
We have received authority from several addi
tional Western roads this morning Circulars will
be issued to-day to sell through tickets such
lines" The lines giving authority to the Penn
sylvania Company include the Chicago d North
western, the Chicago, Milwaukee e. ST. Paul.
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, and the
Union Pacific railroads.
NEW YORK, April 5-The boycott on the
through tickets issued by the Pennsylvania
Company against W estern roads, reported in to-
days dispatches from Chicago and ST. Louis
was general theme of conversation among rail-
road men. It is understood that the boycott has
also been extended to the Boston q Albany road
The Post says that the general passenger agents
were IN session all day, at the Office of Pool Rail
road Commissioner Fink. discussing the affair.
1t was the general opinion among railroad men
that tho boycott would not last throughout the
day; that if persisted in it would, at the worst,
cause through passengers some Inconvenience
for a couple of days but that by the end Of that
time the Western lines would be able to perfect
arrangements by which any Inconvenience
caused by the Eastern lines refusal to book
through would be avoided. Moreover, it was
said to be game at which two might play, and
that thu Westarn rnada c0uld refalizta with
equal effect.
General Passenger Agent Carpenter. of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, was questioned
in regard TO the alleged boycott. He said:
''There isn't word of truth in those dispatches,
at least SO far the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company is concerned. We selling tickets
over those roads to-day, just the same as we
have always done, and we have received no init
nation from our superiors that any other course
Is contemplated by them. think the whole
thing is hoax There is possible expana-
ton Of the dispatches, however. They say that
the Pennsylvania Company has ordered the boy
colt. The Pennsylvania Company is totally
different thing from the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company The former does no business east of
Pittsburg, and has connection with us what
ever But still do not believe that there is
any truth in the report. We would certainly
have heard something about it if it was true,
and we have heard nothing except what is men
toned in tho newspapers"
Pool Commissioner Pierson said: "These diff
ferences have simply grown out of the efforts of
the Eastern roads to suppress the payment of
commissions Judge Cooley chairman of the
Interstate Commission, is quoted as saying that
the payment of commissions on the sale of pas
sage tickets is an infringement of the law In
view of this, the Traffic Association has insisted
that in speaking of arrangements for the ex-
Jhange of business, the payment of commissions
must be stopped. It is in no sense boycott,
but simple business arrangement between
equals"
To-day the general passenger agents fixed up
their lists A number of roads, about thirty in
all, have not signed their assant to the compact;
notably those between Chicago and Kansas City
have refused to join the combination. The
deputy commissioner, in speaking of the matter.
Baid this evening: ''It is not boycott. We
are simply starting right under the new law.
Thesony roads of consequence which have not
agreed to the compact are those il the Anal
kamated Western Association, and they will
doubtless signify their agreement in day or
two. At present there are about ninety roads in
the compact"
Railway and River Men Present Their Pleas.
WASHINGTON. April 5.-The Interstate-com-
merce Commission has selected as permanent
quarters the fifth floor of the Sun building. The
annual rental is $4,000. Colonel Worthington.
general counsel for the Richmond 6 Danville
system; Major Shelman, traffic manager of the
Central Railroad and Banking Company OF
Georgia, and Vice president Smith, Of the Louis
vile s. Nashville road, appeared this morning,
each in behalf of his own corporation, to file the
necessary formal petitions for relief In each
case the purpose of the petitioners is to secure
suspension of the operations of the long-an
short-haul feature of the law for the present, and
. until the commission can give hearings upon
each specific case.
Congressman Bntterworth, accompanied by
Capt j. 7. Stockdale, of the Pittsbure and Gin
cinnati Steamboat Company; Capt. Gus Hon
SHE'LL of the Big Sandy and Louisville mail line
and Capt. r. W. Wise, OF the Memphis and
Cincinnati Packet Company, appeared before
the commission as representatives of the river
interests. Mr. Butterworth, spokesman o.
the delegation, addressed the commission. HI
maintained that the railroads were the agencies
OF the government, and that the powers con
ferred upon them We're conferred by all the
citizens, and, hence, should not be exercised fo
Che advantage OF one class against another. Tit
present tendency was 10 produce great aggrega
tons of people-large cities-because the cor
porate agencies of the government gave specia
privileges to favored points, taxing some local.
tien for the benefit of others 1t was not for tn,
public good that this should be So If one de
sired TO start a factory at an lntermediat t,
point it could not now be done, not becaus,
ADVANTAGES were lacking. but because tn,
government agencies would tax it in the way O
transportation charges for the purpose of driv